The Sable Library
by Mr Marrow
Summary: Hector Sable spends his days quietly tending to the Sable Library, a tiny building at the edge of Japan's liminal district. But things don't stay quiet for long when his home becomes a bastion for monster girls of all shapes and sizes.
1. Chapter 1: Spider in the Library

It was a quiet day in the library. There had been a lot of quiet days lately. Ever since Hector had moved to Japan it seemed like there were less and less people checking out books. The location seemed to be the biggest problem. The building was placed at the very edge of the cities liminal district. Where the liminal's usually stayed until they could go live with their homestays.

Three years ago governments around the world revealed the existence of extra species populations living beside humanity. Creatures of myth had suddenly become real and the humans as a species had been rocked by the revelation. Hector's own life had seen some changes but he had ended up fine in the end.

A friend had needed his help and he had moved to Japan to take care of him. When his friend had died he left Hector the only thing he had left, a musty old private library. It was the best gift he could have possibly gotten.

He spent his days cleaning and fixing up the old and tattered books. Some would have considered his work boring, but Hector couldn't have been more content. He only wished that more people would stop by. Books deserved to be read, and they wouldn't be if they were gathering dust on the shelf all day.

Suddenly the bell over the front door rang followed by…clopping. Hector looked up from the catalogue he had been updating to see something he never had before. It was a woman, with tan skin, brown hair and freckles. He had seen women before, but this one turned into a horse at the waist and was two meters tall. Her horse half was a chocolatey brown color, with a black tail that swished behind her. The library was at the edge of the liminal district but he realized that he had never seen one come in. And now there was a centaur girl in front of him.

Not wanting to be rude Hector kept his eyes off her horse half and gave her a polite nod. He would have smiled but the medical mask and sunglasses he wore would have made the gesture pointless. She gave an awkward smile back as she fidgeted in place. The poor girl seemed so nervous.

Hector decided to break the ice. "Welcome to Sable Library, may I help you?"

The centaur suddenly started shifting side to side before taking a deep breath and giving him a determined look. "I-I want to check out a book. A lot of books, medical books, please."

"Of course," Hector said standing up. "The medical section is right this way."

The girl looked at him slack jawed before following him. "You're actually letting me rent them out?"

"Of course," Hector said as he stopped in front of the medical section, "what was it that you needed again?"

"Oh, um, a book on anatomy and one on physiology. The most advanced you have." she said still a bit stunned. "Your fine with me being…" she gestured to her horse half.

Hector pulled her books of the shelf and carried them to the front desk as she followed. "Books don't care about the race of whoever opens them, and neither do I. Just follow the rules and you're free to come back anytime." He stamped the books and handed them to her. "This is medical school level literature, are you a student?"

She rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm in this country to get a medical degree. I'm not doing too well in my classes and the library at school won't lend them out to me so I've had to look through the local libraries for books to study."

"You haven't had any luck then with that I suppose."

She looked down sadly. "No, none of the ones I went to would let me check them out. Plus I kept getting stopped by security asking for my papers and where my host was. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to pull out my student visa today."

"I can hardly imagine."

"I found this place by accident," she said taking the books. "Thanks for your help."

"Come back anytime, and good luck with your studies."

She smiled as she left and Hector got back to work. Over the next few days the centaur girl would return to keep checking out books. She was reading through them at an impressive rate. Hector learned that her name was Rosalyn and that she was a light weight class of centaur, they were also called racing centaurs.

This meant that she was smaller than other classes and more fragile, but way faster with a love for running. Most centaurs like her were trying to break into the medical profession, in order to better help their kind with the issues that came with their bodies being so prone to injury.

She asked why he constantly wore a black medical over his face, and he explained that it was to prevent any inhalation of dust when he was cleaning. This was true enough for the most part. Besides the details behind it didn't really matter anyway.

For a small time she was the only regular he had. Until one day he heard the bell ring, and when he looked up it wasn't Rosalyn like he was expecting. She was a regular looking woman, the only thing that marked her as a liminal was the fact that she had a single large dark brown eye dead center in her forehead. She had clothes that reminded Hector of a nun and regarded him with a cool stare.

"I am looking for books on Buddhism," she said flatly.

"They should be in the religion section, right this way."

The woman took as many books as she could carry out the door. She kept returning throughout the week. Giving Hector simple requests, saying no more and no less, before leaving. He learned from Rosalyn that she had to have a part of the one eyed monks. They were Monoeyes who had converted to Buddhism during their time in the human world. They were infamous for judgmental and harsh personalities, but Hector couldn't understand why. Until one day the one eyed monk walked up to his desk with an annoyed look on her face. Her single eye intensifying the stare more than any human could have delivered it.

"This book is faulty.' She said placing it on the counter.

Hector stopped his filing and gave it a look over. True to her word there were pages actually missing, looking as if they had been torn out. Hector was at a loss, who could have done this? "I apologize, this is strange. You are the only one who has touched these books."

"Is that an accusation?" She asked, her one eye narrowing in suspicion.

Hector just shook his head. "No, just that it doesn't make sense that the pages are gone like this. I haven't seen anyone come in or out of that section."

His explanation seemed to calm the woman down, her stare softening and becoming more focused. "I do not think that I am the only one who has been to that section."

"What do you mean?"

He followed her to the section of the library where the books were and pointed to some parts of the carpeted floor. "There are tracks leading to the back of the library."

He couldn't see anything but she explained that as a mooneye she had advanced eyesight that could see that sort of thing, like a nearly invisible dust trail leading away. With her help they followed the trail to the back storage room.

"This is where the tracks end," she said looking around confused. But Hector realized that the room wasn't a dead end.

"They must have gone this way," he said as he pulled down a step ladder that led into the attic. He told his companion to stay behind. He didn't want her exposed to all the dust and lint in the air up in the attic.

He headed up and turned on the small light hanging from the ceiling. The attic was a musty old place he cleaned as often as he could, but still ended up being completely filthy whenever he came back. Tarps covered various pieces of stored furniture and created a small maze to walk through. Hector made his way through not seeing anything too out of the ordinary. That was until he stumbled upon a small opening between some tables and a column of chairs stacked in the corner.

It was small, and he wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for a small draft that came through. He had to duck and squeeze himself through until he made it to the other side. There he saw how a small area had been cleared. It bathed in the light coming from an open window above it. This explained why the place kept getting so dirty. But what really drew his attention was the diorama sitting in the center of the area.

It was…the library. A small perfectly crafted version of the library. As he leaned to examine he realized that it was paper mache. It seemed to have been glued together using a mixture of water, some glue and…silk? They almost looked like spider webs.

A shuffle nearby brought his attention to some shadows nearby. There in the shadows several points of shined in the dark. Hector walked over and knelt in from of the area and saw that there was a small figure in hiding, seemingly eyeing him warily as he approached.

"Hello," he said calmly, "who are you?" No response, the shining points receded a bit. He decided he needed to take a different approach. "Did you make this?" He said gesturing to the diorama, "It's very good." The points seemed to perk up and come a bit forward. "But it's made of books you've harmed, and that is not right. We will need to talk about it."

Suddenly the eyes looked down, seemingly in shame, and Hector backed up a bit so the figure could come into the light. He didn't expect what he saw next. It was a small girl, dirty, thin and wearing a tattered tarp for clothing. Her bottom half was that of a black and white spider. She had around eight eyes from what he could see as her matted dirty grey hair shifted as a breeze came in the through the window and caused her to shiver.

'M'sorry," she said sincerely with a downcast look. "I didn't wanna hurt books. I just like making things."

Hector felt a great weight on his heart as he looked at the small child. "Have you been living up here, child?"

She nodded and gestured over to a pile of supplies and hunted prey in the corner. Hector realized that she might have been there for months and he hadn't noticed. She must have been suffering for so long.

He couldn't bear seeing a child in pain. He held a hand out to her. "Come, let us find you something warmer to wear, and some food to eat."

Her eyes filled with hope. But her hand flinched back as she reached out to grab his. Dread and anxiety filled her features and Hector was suddenly frightened that she might make a run for it. He slowly reached up and pulled down his medical mask, revealing his face in full before smiling softly. "Come now, everything is going to be alright."

The gesture seemed to calm her down. She reached out and gently took his hand, and together the two left the attic.


	2. Chapter 2: First Steps

Hector would later learn over a hot meal that the girl's name was Mila. She was a small breed arachnid who had wandered out of the liminal district one day only to become lost. She had no parents to return to. The Arachne species typically left their young to survive on their own fairly early on.

She stuffed her face with a healthy broth Hector had cooked up in his small home behind the library. It was actually more of a shed, containing only a bed, a sink, a stove and a toilet. He used it to sleep and eat, before returning to spend most of his time in the library.

He had taken Mila with him and together they shared a meal while they waited for some members of the exchange program to arrive. She ate until she was full, but refused to engage in any small talk. She remained skittish and Hector was afraid that she would make a break for it at any moment. She clutched the blanket he had lent her like a lifeline, clearly desperate for some warmth.

He decided to entertain with children's stories from the library. Grimm's fairy tales, Japanese folklore, Greek fables, she listened to them all with wonder in all of her eyes. Eventually those eyes became lidded and with a powerful yawn she fell asleep on his small twin bed he pulled down from the wall.

Hector left her to rest there while he tidied up. He heard a car pull up nearby and put on his mask, hat and sunglasses before exiting the house. He waited on the porch as a woman strode up to him. She had long black hair and was dressed like a professional government agent. She had a curious pout as she looked Hector over.

"Mr. Sable. I presume?"

"You can call me Hector."

She smirked, "Hector it is, I'm Ms. Smith. I head the exchange program here in Japan."

He nodded before waving towards the house, "She's in there."

She eyes the small home warily, "Is she dangerous?"

"No," he said shaking his head, "But she is hungry, and tired. I suggest you keep it down."

Hector noticed the flicker of a smile cross her face as she pulled out a folder and jotted something down. She suddenly looked at him intensely. He could practically feel her gaze behind the sunglasses she wore. "Is she injured, in any way?"

The way she said it along with the intensity of her look made Hector realize that she did not just mean physical abuse. He shook his head, "No, I fed her and lent her my bed."

"What about before you found her?"

"She was protected in the library, but she was hungry and cold."

Ms. Smith nodded before writing some more and sighing in relief. "Well that's good. You mind if I see her?"

"Be my guest."

He stood up and let her pass into his home. He waited outside only to perk up as the wind shifted. His eyes narrowed at the alleyway beside the library that led to the small patch of grass he had built his home on. Leaning against the wall was another agent, this one wearing beige tactical armor. She had bright red hair and stitches across her face.

She locked her different color eyes on his and gave him a sharp toothed grin. "So, you keeping her?"

"That was a strange hello, "What do you mean?"

"I mean the little spider, are you keeping her around?"

What she was saying suddenly clicked and Hector shook his head, "Oh no, I cannot be a homestay."

She snorted, "Yeah, I wouldn't wanna be one either with a home like that. It looks like it should be holding rakes, not people."

Hector crossed his arms, "It works well enough."

'Well why not keep the little spider then?"

"It's complicated," Hector said simply.

"It's the legs isn't it," she said grinning, "Or the eyes? It's not the eyes is it?"

"It's complicated," Hector repeated. He really didn't want to get into it. He had no problem with liminals, but he was fine with the way things were. He didn't need any big changes in his life at the moment. "I don't want to get into it."

The girl sighed as she crossed her arms, "Shame, homestay hosts get payed by the government, they aren't stingy with the money either."

Hector scowled under his mask, "You can keep you money."

The agent seemed to sense his mood and held up her hands in surrender. "It's cool, doesn't stop what's going to happen to her but you can say no."

Hector knew bait when he heard it. But the niggling doubt hung in the back of his mind like a loose thread. It demanded to be pulled. "So what will happen to her," he said with barely a thought. He knew he had fallen for it as soon as her grin came back in full force.

"She's an Arachne too, so no parents to contact. She goes into our system, maybe being picked up for a home, maybe not. It could take years, and she will have to stay in some government centers we have set up. Lemme tell you they are craaappy. And let me tell you-"

"Stop speaking," His tone made let her know that there was no room for debate. She just shrugged and began to whistle.

Soon the door opened up again and Ms. Smith walked out with Mila. The spiderling scurried to the top of the home and looked down warily. Ms. Smith strolled up to Hector while looking through the file she carried.

"Well, it's all set up. We'll just have to take her away now," Hector heard Mila whimper at the words, "She'll have to stay at a nearby center."

Hector's hand clenched as he looked from the spider girl trembling on his roof to the stoic agent. He sighed before walking over to Ms. Smith who raised an eyebrow. "Oh, have something to say?"

Hector wordlessly reached over and plucked the folder from her hand. "This is the homestay paperwork I assume."

Ms. Smith smiled, "I don't know what you're talking about. That's very important government data. I could arrest you for touching that."

Hector snorted causing Mila to giggle, "Like you didn't tell your agent to try and guilt me into becoming homestay. Like this whole scenario hasn't been completely planned by you."

She just shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you want to become a host I'm sure-"

"Stop talking," he walked over to his home and looked up at Mila. She was looking down at him with wary eyes. "What do you want?" He asked softly.

She hesitated as she looked down to avoid his eyes, after a few moments she managed to find her voice, "Wanna stay with books."

Hector looked at her for a few moments before nodding. he walked back to Ms. Smith and held out a hand. "Pen."

She produced one from her jacket and he opened the folder. Just like he guessed, inside was the full homestay paperwork. The section for Mila had already been filled out. He quickly filled out his section and handed it back to smith who whistled.

"Impressive, we could use someone with paper work skills like your back at-"

"Please leave my property."

"Fair enough, we're done here girls," she called out as she walked away. "Your first homestay government check comes in a week."

The other agent followed after her, but not before looking back and giving Hector a smug grin. He watched them go before turning around and finding that Mila was right at his feet. "I stay?"

He nodded, "You stay. Now we sleep." It had been a very long day, and he was exhausted. His shoulders slumped and he trudged back to the house. But he couldn't help but smile as he heard the girl's tiny giggles as she trailed behind him.


	3. Chapter 3: Stone Stare Blues

Hector's mornings had changed drastically since Mila's arrival. He woke up and now dangling above his bed was a silken hammock where she slept comfortably. She was a young Arachne, always hungry, and her stomach woke her up as he made breakfast. She wolfed down her meal and together they would head to the library in by opening time.

Hector soon learned that she did not know how to read. So he taught her, using the quiet library to gently guide her through their lessons. He quickly found her to be hungrier for knowledge than she was for food. She picked up on his lessons quickly and was soon able to read basic literature by herself.

She only occasionally asked him for help, and mainly called on him to read her favorite bedtime stories. Hector soon found that she had a taste for books based on the arts. She was completely obsessed with the works of the great artists. She asked Hector to read then re-read books on Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.

She even had him read her books on liminal warrior reptiles of the same name from America.

Their days were often spent like this, with the occasional customer to mix things up. Rosalyn and Mila got on famously after they had been introduced. The centaur and the Arachne bonded over books involving physiology, Rosalyn studying how bodies worked and Mila on how they were proportioned.

The spiderling also managed to get on the good side of his monoeye regular. After the small girl had apologized for tearing up the books the woman had introduced herself as Isabelle and forgiven her. She still mainly kept to herself but her stern look seemed to soften whenever she spoke to Mila. One day she actually approached Hector for a reason outside of looking for a book.

"The girl, you teach her here, yes?"

For a moment Hector didn't realize that he was being spoken too. He straightened up as he realized she had said more than a handful of words to him. "Yes."

Isabelle hummed as she looked over at the little girl humming happily as she crafted a surprisingly accurate human figure out of clay. "She is talented in the arts, but you are not."

"True."

"I have an eye for these things," she said completely seriously so Hector bit down a smile. "She needs a teacher to hone her abilities."

Hector looked over and saw that the figure was now detailed and painted. It wore a familiar bucket hat, mask and sunglasses. "You may be right about that."

Finding a teacher required going into the city. After closing up the library Hector headed out with Mila out unto the city streets. He was unused to being out among the people. Mila had expressed no interest in adventuring out beyond the library either. She clung to him like a backpack, hiding in a hoodie he had lent her.

He could feel her head swivel as they walked along the roads and the small gasps as she saw something new. She also shrank whenever she received any attention, but Hector knew how to avoid attracting too many eyes. Soon they were standing in front of a nearby college, Rosalyn's in fact. She had told Hector the school accepted liminals, it stood to reason they would accept one more.

He found the college art studio and was about to enter when the door burst open. A group of scared looking students came rushing out like a wave to meet him. He sidestepped them and exchanged wary looks with Mila as they looked at them retreat.

"Scared?" Hector nodded and he could feel her tense up, "Go home?"

He shook his head, "You need a teacher."

She nodded, her fear giving way to determination. She held on tightly, but didn't so much as whimper as he stepped carefully through the entrance. The studio was well lit, which only served to let the two see what a mess it was. Brushes and paint cans were everywhere, have finished statues littered the floor, and pencils littered the floor. In the center of it all was a woman. Her hair was bright red…and writhing.

She turned and Hector could hear Mila give out a small gasp as they saw that her hair was actually a squirming nest of red snakes. She wore a loose blouse and a skirt but Hector could see the red scaled tail that stretched out behind her. She was practically hissing in anger as she picked art supplies. Mila clung to him tightly as he approached.

"Hello?"

She suddenly pointed her gaze at him and he froze in place. Her stare was unnaturally intense. Hector was rooted to where he stood like he had been frozen. She frowned as she adjusted her glasses before scoffing and continued cleaning. "The studio is closed."

Hector was suddenly able to breathe again and sighed in relief, the experience had been unpleasant. He had half a mind to leave before he looked at Mila to see her looking around in awe. He remembered why they had come.

"Hey," he said grabbing her attention, "go look around."

She nodded excitedly before leaping off her back and scurrying off. The snake woman watched her skitter off with a frown. She looked like she was about to complain before Hector began to pick up pencils. "What are you doing?"

"Helping," he answered as he placed pencils by the handful into a nearby box.

"Why?"

"You look like you need help."

She just huffed and together the two cleaned the studio up. It had been several hours and he had not heard from Mila so he assumed she had found something to occupy her time. The snake woman gave a tired sigh as they filed the last box. "That should be all of it. Humans, honestly they stampede like cattle when their scared." She looked at Hector warily, "No offense?"

Why was that a question? "None taken, what happened?"

The woman settled in a nearby chair and eased into it, clearly drained. "I run the art program here. But not because I'm qualified, oh no, it's because of my background no matter what they tell you."

"Because you're a liminal?"

"How cynical," she said in mock offense, "I was going to say it was because I'm Greek." She sighed, "I came to Japan to take up a job offer, but then I find out they only wanted a liminal with an artsy image for their flyers."

"Are Medusa's famous painters or something?" he knew the myths of their mythical stone stare, but he wasn't dumb enough to equate myth with reality. The original Arachne was a master weaver, but Mila couldn't sew to save her life.

The woman glared at him freezing him in place, her eyes searching his mask as if to make sure he wasn't joking around. "My kind is more associated with statutes."

"I did not want to assume."

"How nice of you, I wish the school thought the same way before they put me in here with the art students," she scoffed.

She looked away and Hector was able to breathe easier again, he really didn't like that sensation. He settled himself into a nearby seat, "What job did you actually want?"

"I wanted to teach math," she said with a smile. "I'm a bit of a wiz when you put an abacus in my hand."

"Imagine you with a calculator."

She laughed lightly before sitting up a bit straighter and holding out a hand, "I'm Eury, full name Euryale but I don't like the association with the myth."

Hector shook her hand gently, "Hector. So why'd they all run out like that, you're not very frightening."

"Nice of you to say," She suddenly frowned, "I was looking through my classes work. Unfortunately Medusa's have the tendency to have pretty intense stares." She adjusted her glasses, "We have terrible vision, and our squinting looks like glaring to any other species, which doesn't matter when we can freeze other people in place with a look."

"I noticed," Hector added dryly.

She only smirked, "It frightened some students, which has happened a lot since I got here, and when some pencils fell over…I guess I just snapped. The students saw an angry Medusa on a rampage and ran, you saw the rest."

Hector hummed and they spent a few moments in silence. "I'm sorry to hear that, really."

She smiled at his sincerity, "Its fine, it happens. What brings you here anyway?"

"I have a homestay in need of an art instructor. I figured this was the place to look."

Eury smiled sadly, "Sorry to disappoint."

Hector shook his head, "It's not your fault, at least I know who to call during tax season now."

Eury snorted before looking around, "Where is the girl anyway?"

Hector stood up and Eury did as well, "Around here somewhere, she shouldn't have left the studio."

Together the two looked for the tiny spider. "Hector, I feel like I should say that applications to this class were closed last week. Besides, this is a college level class and I don't think that we would be able to…" She trailed off as they turned the corner and she was left speechless.

Hector could not blame her, it was pretty amazing.

Mila had placed a canvas flat on the floor and drawn an intricate series of lines across its surface. Hector recognized it as a map of the area around the library. She must have copied it from memory. What was even more impressive was the incredibly detailed clay model of the library being built on the map where the real one would have risen.

It was half finished, but looked like it was to be incredibly accurate. It even had small lifelike clay figurines of Hector, Rosalyn, Isabelle and Mila at its steps. The Arachne was completely consumed by the project as she worked furiously. The two looked at her expertly use her clawed hands to cut and shape the clay.

Eury coughed into her hand before turning to Hector, "You know in light of recent events we may have some open spots by tomorrow."

"I'll be sure to sign her up."


	4. Chapter 4: A Cry for Help

Eury's classes were Tuesdays and Thursdays, so Hector dropped Mila off to spend the day in class before opening the library. He had spoken to the Medusa and while some students had dropped out of the class, the others had come back apologizing for their behavior. He was happy for her, and while she wouldn't be able to really teach Mila anything at least the girl had a space to fully express herself.

She seemed to be fine teaching herself as well, a fact he commented to Isabelle next time he saw her. She just hummed in understanding, "Her mind is sharp, and ambitious. Sometimes we are able to follow a path on instinct, rather than needing guidance."

While the words came out stern, the sheer amount of them made Hector almost believe the woman had actually become comfortable with him. When he told Rosalyn about Mila's new class, her reaction was much less subdued.

"Oh my gosh, that is amazing!" She practically squealed, "I knew she could it. I can't believe we're going to the same college now! She must be some kind of prodigy."

That was true, Arachne grew quickly by human standards but she still practically an elementary student. That fact combined with the fact that few other schools would take her in made Eury's class a thankful surprise. The snake woman was also happy to watch Mila and make sure she didn't leave the liminal sanctioned grounds of the school.

Rosalyn was excited to have a friend going to the same school and offered to walk with them on class mornings. It came with additional benefit of having her seen with a human meaning she was less likely to be hassled on the way to school by the police.

Hector agreed and spent the time silently listening to the two girls quickly speak about their passions on the way. Things were going well, until he heard an ear splitting scream as he was walking back alone to the library one morning.

His instincts kicked in and he bolted towards where the noise had come from. He ended up in a nearby alleyway. A group of young men were nearby and clearly agitated and angry. They looked like they belonged to a high school. Hector realized that they must be some kind of local gang. They were huddled around something, as he heard a whimper he realized that it was someone.

He felt his heart quicken as he stopped and took in the situation. The group was hurting someone, or they had already hurt them which explained the scream. Other people must have heard the scream, which meant the police should be on their way. It didn't mean they would get there in time, or that the gang wouldn't do something terrible before they got there.

His feet were moving before he had even finished thinking.

He approached the group as their leader snarled, "Stupid plant," he kicked their target and Hector's fists clenched as he heard another whimper. He didn't know what they meant by plant though until he managed to see their target.

It was some kind of tree woman, heavy set with brown bark skin, pure black eyes, and large green tropical leaves for hair. She as whimpering as she held her head in fear, her breathing coming out ragged and strained. The leader only sneered, "What out of breath you freak? We don't like liminals on our turf. Maybe a bonfire will make sure you freaks stay away."

The girl whimpered and Hector coughed into his hand catching the group's attention. The leader's eyes narrowed as he stepped towards Hector. "Can we help you man?"

"Leave the girl alone and walk away," he said in a tone that promised pain and thunder, "Now."

The men started to look a little nervous, but their leader stepped forward. "Or what?"

"I won't ask again."

The leader responded with a sneer, "You defending this freak?" Hector stayed silent, he had already issued his warning. The man just grew angrier at the silence. "Or maybe under that mask you're a freak too?"

He reached towards the girl and Hector gave a small hum that stopped the hand, "Touch her again and what happens next is on you."

His men were definitely worried now, and so was their leader. Hesitation flickered in his eyes before he steeled himself and reached for the girl.

A few minutes later Hector was wiping the blood off of his sleeves. He frowned when he realized that he had ruined one of his favorite black shirts. He put his tattered mask and shattered sunglasses back on as sirens sounded off in the distance. He sat next to the plant girl while he waited. She eyed him fearfully as she rubbed the tears from her eyes, "T-thank y-you." The words were spoken in a barely strained out whisper.

Hector nodded, "You are welcome. How bad are you hurt?"

She shook her head and whimpered as she clutched her hand closer to her body. Hector reached out but she mewled at a pitch high enough to cause his vision to blur. He backed off a bit and she stopped the noise.

He held out his hands in a gesture of peace, "I heard you scream and I came to help, I'm not going to hurt you." He took his mask and glasses off before locking eyes with her, "I promise."

It took a few moments, but with a sniffle the girl held out her arm and Hector could see the damage. Her wood was cracked, and there dents along her body. He wasn't a specialist but it looked like it would be awhile before she was fully healed. He sighed as he sat next to her, ignoring the filth of the alley staining the last clean bits of his clothes.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," he said sincerely. She eyed him warily, but her lip stopped quivering. "My name is Hector." She muttered something but it was so soft he could barely hear it. "What was that?"

She whispered again as she hid her face in the leaves sprouting on top of her head. He managed to catch some of it though. "Favela?" she nodded and he nodded back, "A nice name."

They waited for the police together and Hector put his mask and glasses back on when they arrived. He was not surprised to see the group headed by a familiar face.

Ms. Smith raised an eyebrow at him sitting beside the plant girl in the alleyway. She didn't seem surprised by the unconscious bodies that surrounded them. "Well, hello again Hector."

"Ms. Smith."

"What happened here?"

"Local gang found a lone liminal girl."

The woman hummed in understanding as she looked at the shaking plant girl. She retreated closer to Hector as she buried her face in his back. "She looks like a mandragora, you might know them as mandrakes, she's a living plant. Harmless most of the time, but they have a hell of a scream."

"I noticed."

Ms. Smith raised a smug eyebrow over her sunglasses, "Heard the girl yell and came running? I never took you for a white knight."

"Someone screamed, so I came to help. I don't expect a medal. What happens now?"

"Well, we could put her in the system," the words caused the girl to whimper and clutch him tighter, almost painfully so, "Or…"

"Or?"

Ms. Smith gave him a smug grin as she pulled out a familiar looking folder. Hector just groaned as he realized how much he disliked the woman.


	5. Chapter 5: Turf War

Mila's reaction to their new homestay was not as positive as he would have liked.

"Don't like her," she pouted as she glared at Favela. The mandrake only shrank under the gaze and whimpered.

Hector sighed, "Mila, she needed our help. I found her just like I found you."

Mila's pout softened as she looked up at Hector with a hint of understanding, "No home?"

"No home. I said she could stay with us, and she looks like she could use a friend."

Mila still looked petulant, but it was more forced now. Hector guided her gently over to Favela and sat with her on the grass. The mandrake eyed them warily before Hector nudged Mila gently. The spider girl groaned before addressing their new homestay.

"You read?" Favela shook in place and looked to Hector who nodded his head. She responded to Mila with a quick shake of her head. The Arachne harrumphed, unimpressed. "You draw?"

Another shake of the head, Mila groaned and looked at Hector, "Boring, don't like her."

"Mila," Hector said patiently, "It took you weeks before you were reading and drawing ion your own. And you had my help. Maybe she needs your help too."

Mila's eyes shined, "I help, like you?" He knew she was hooked and he wasn't surprised when he found the two going through some basic children's books together throughout the day.

Favela was a quiet sort, sticking to the libraries backyard. She liked the mud and Hector was only slightly surprised to head back there one morning and find a new garden growing there. Favela looked like she thought he might be mad about it. His only response was asking her to leave a path to the house.

The following days were quiet as their new resident got used to daily life at the library. Rosalyn had taken to Favela instantly and handled the shy girl's tendencies in stride. She used her practiced doctor's bedside manner to full effect as she gently drew out heir conversations. Isabelle on the other hand…

"The girl hates me."

Hector looked away from the books he was shelving over at the stoic woman. She never showed any emotion, but the fact that she had said more than three words about the matter spoke volumes.

"She does not hate you," Hector answered honestly. From what he had seen Favela didn't hate anyone. He doubted she had a spiteful bone in her body.

"Terrified then."

"Ah," that made much more sense, "Probably."

She followed him into the next aisle, "How do I make her stop?"

He thought about his options here very carefully. Isabelle came off as aloof, cold, and critical…which she normally was. But that did not mean that she was a bad person, just unattached. He rather enjoyed having her around. Her natural analytical abilities were also incredibly helpful in keeping Mila happy and healthy.

"You cannot just make her stop," Hector answered gently, "Some people just need some time to get used to each other."

"Not all people," Isabelle said looking over to where Rosalyn was coloring in anatomy books with the girls. It was true enough that all three of them got along like a house on fire.

"Well Rosalyn is-"

"Warm, personable, friendly," there was that analytical ability at work again.

"I was going to say more open."

"How is that any different?"

Hector sighed. He wasn't good at this kind of stuff and was very clearly out of his depth here. He was saved from continuing the conversation when there the sound of something heavy falling came from outside. He exchanged a confused look with Isabelle before heading out to take a look.

Of all the things Hector expected, it was not to see a bloodied teenage boy on his stairway steps. He reached out to Hector with a pained expression, "Help…me."

The two moved fast and Hector lifted the groaning boy up as Isabelle went inside. He entered and placed the injured on an open table while Isabelle arrived with Rosalyn.

"What happened?" The centaur asked wide eyed as the man groaned.

"We just found him like this," Hector answered as he looked the man over. He was more a boy really. He looked like he could be in high school. Most of the blood was coming from around his chest and arms. "Can you fix him up?"

Rosalyn sputtered in shock, "Hector, I'm a doctor for centaurs!"

"Which are half human," he pointed to the injuries across the boys torso, "That half, specifically."

She nodded at the point before running her hands nervously through her hair, "I don't know. I-I-I never actually, I haven't-"

Surprisingly, Isabelle took the initiative and put a hand gently on the panicking centaur's shoulder, "You can do this Rosalyn. You have steady hands and know what to do." Her words were sincere and firm, enough to calm the girl down.

She nodded rapidly before taking a deep breath, "Okay, okay, I know what to do. I know what to do. I can do this."

Hector gave Isabelle a grateful nod she returned before going to take care of the girls. They were watching the scene with wide eyes and he shepherded them to the front desk. Mila was staring anxiously.

"Man going to die?"

"Yes," Favela said softly in a resigned tone. She had seen this happen before.

"He's not going to die," Hector said putting a hand on their shoulders. He noticed how out of it Favela was when she didn't flinch. "Doctor Rosalyn and Nurse Isabelle will make sure he comes out fine."

Mila nodded and eased into his touch while Favela only hummed sadly. All three of them perked up as Isabelle called over, "Mila, we need your silk!"

Mila looked up at Hector in panic and he squeezed her shoulder and nodded. He really didn't think having his homestay help in a medical operation was very responsible. On the other hand having her watch someone die in the library would probably be worse for her in the long run.

She skittered over and started helping, leaving Hector with Favela. They watched the trio work and a few minutes later Rosalyn stepped back and wiped the sweat from her brow. "He's going to be fine."

The others let out a sigh in relief and Hector walked forward to look at the boy. He was pale and barely conscious, but no longer bleeding. He even managed to stir a bit before bolting upright in panic.

Hector grabbed him by the shoulders and laid him down, "Calm yourself, it's safe here."

"Am I dead?!"

"No, you're not dead. You're at my library."

He stopped struggling and groaned as he closed his eyes, "Yeah, I imagine being dead is a lot less painful."

"Feel free to assume."

"I thought I was dead for sure because I could have sworn I saw an angel."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she was tall with the most beautiful brown eyes and a touch like velvet."

"That would actually be your doctor," Hector said smirking under his mask. The girl in question had become as red as a beet and covered her face with her hands. Mila snickered at her embarrassment and Favela giggled quietly into her hand. Even Isabelle had the ghost of a smile flicker across her face. "You can thank her later. Now, what happened to you?"

The boy explained that his name was Spades-

"I'm not calling him that."

"Let him name himself however he wants, Hector."

-and he was part of Royal Flush. It was a delinquent gang operating out of the nearby high school. They had been skipping class when they had run into another gang out on the street, the same gang that had been harassing Favela.

"The Blue Monsoon Gang," Spades said with a quiver in his voice.

"What is with these names?" Hector asked Isabelle who just blinked in response.

"They're the toughest gang of delinquents-"

Hector sighed, "I do not have time for the full story. Why were you bleeding on my steps instead of going to a hospital?"

Spades blinked before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "I didn't actually think my injuries were that bad. The others looked way worse so I ran off to get help."

"So you went for the police and fell to blood loss on the way here."

"Um, no I was actually looking for the man in black."

"The what?"

"The man who annihilated the toughest Blue Monsoons around, people say this library is where he slumbers…waiting for his next battle."

Hector pinched his nose in frustration as he tried to ignore the sound of the girl's stifled giggles. Rosalyn clearly thought the whole thing was hysterical. "Man in black?"

"Quiet Ms. Angel," Rosalyn made a squeaking sound as she buried her face in her hands. Hector turned back to Spades who was now looking for him in what looked like reverence.

"You're the man in black?"

"My name is Hector, and I am a librarian."

"It is you!" Spades tried to sit up but he winced before lying back down. "The Black Beast!"

"It's the Black Beast now?"

"You need to help us, you're our only hope!"

"I would, but the non-fiction section really needs another round of dusting today."

"But-but-" Spades looked over at the girls looking for help.

"Violence is against my beliefs."

"It's against my profession."

"Fight no good."

Favela just shivered a bit and Hector clapped his hands together like it was a job well done. "There, it's decided. I will not be helping you with your gang turf war."

"What made you fight them in the first place," Isabelle asked.

"Well, they were on our turf," he said it like it was obvious. "They were messing with this chicken girl-"

"Chicken girl," Hector groaned as he felt a headache coming on, "What chicken girl?"

Spades explained that the Blue Monsoons had been harassing a poultry harpy nearby when Royal Flush came across them. They had argued over territory before the Tigers had their faces beaten in and taken the girl.

"Where?"

"What?"

"Where did they take her?"

Spades lit up as he spouted out the address, "You're going to help us?"

"I'm going to help an innocent girl," he tossed Isabelle his phone, "Call MON and tell them to get over here. Rosalyn, watch the girls." He leaned down put a hand on Mila's shoulder, "I'll be back soon, take care of Favela and the others okay?"

Her eyes watered but she bit her lip and nodded. He squeezed her shoulder and stood up as the little spider comforted the quivering mandrake. Hector nodded to the others before walking out the door.

It was several hours before he made it back, bleeding and limping. His clothes were torn and his left arm hung loose at his side. He found the leader of the MON squad on the steps of his library.

"Hector."

"Smith."

She looked him over with a raised eyebrow, "Is she safe?"

He nodded as he uncovered the load he had been carrying. It was a small girl covered in fluffy white feathering who had fallen asleep in his arms. "I found her in the hideout. They were planning to sell her eggs for profit."

"Very illegal."

"I shut the operation down."

"Should I send some officers to make some arrests?"

"I would wait until the fires die down."

She hummed in understanding before glaring hard enough to remind Hector of Eury, "How much paperwork did you just make for me?"

"I didn't kill anyone, but they won't be harassing any Liminals for a while."

Smith nodded as the girl in his arms whimpered. He gently rocked her while softly humming to comfort the small harpy. "She's been through a lot today."

"Are you thinking of bringing in another homestay?"

Hector shrugged, "That would be up to her. Honestly, I want to handle all of this in the morning."

"You want us to drive you to the hospital?"

"No, Rosalyn can patch me up fine. She could use the practice too."

He walked up the steps and gave Ms. Smith one last nod goodnight before heading inside.


	6. Chapter 6: Personal Demons

The poultry harpy's name turned out to be Polly. He only knew that because Ms. Smith had pulled up a file about a missing harpy that had disappeared a few months back of the same description. She had no nearby family to contact and to say that she wanted to stay was an understatement. Hector found it hard to get a moments rest from her.

"No like chicken," Mila said glaring at the small harpy.

Hector sighed as he kept placing books on the shelves. This was made more difficult by the cast over his left arm and harpy wrapped around his leg. Polly had not let go of him since she had woken up a few days earlier. She had quietly refused to acknowledge anyone talking to her, preferring to grip him tighter and avoid communicating entirely.

Hector had to walk like he had a limp with her stuck on him. She was completely uncomfortable with leaving the library, and clucked in terror whenever he tried to leave the premises. Polly's terror made it impossible to take Mila to her classes. This made things between the two girls…tense.

"Need to go to class."

"We can't go, Mila. The law says you need to be accompanied by your homestay and I cannot leave."

"Because scaredy cat," she said glaring at the silent girl who gripped his leg even tighter. At this point Hector was worried about his circulation.

He was still healing from handling the Blue Monsoons. Rosalyn had patched him up well and the following morning Polly was officially made his homestay. Smith had avoided any smug grins and quietly taken the paperwork. Hector counted it as a small blessing but he was fairly certain that she wanted to avoid dealing with his new living situation. The small harpy was an anxious wreck. Favela continued to be withdrawn, and Mila wasn't helping at all.

"She live somewhere else."

"Mila that is enough," Hector said sternly. The little spider only huffed and crossed her arms as Hector sighed in exasperation.

He had no idea how to handle this. After everything had cooled down the daily grind had more or less gone back to normal. Favela was in the back yard tending to her garden. Isabelle and Rosalyn still dropped by to read and check up on him and the girls. Mila was the only one to really be affected by the new homestay since she couldn't go to class. But as the bell above the door rang he was suddenly reminded about what else had changed after that night.

"Heyo Sensei!" three voices called in unison and Hector groaned. He turned to the delinquents who had turned the library into their personal haunt.

Spades' friends had been released from the hospital and he had wasted no time telling them about why the Blue Monsoons were no longer around. Hector was less surprised than he thought at the fact that Royal Flush was missing a few cards.

Spades was the apparent leader of the group with a pompadour haircut and bright smile. His right hand "lieutenant" turned out to be a tall girl named Club, she had scar on her cheek and a permanent scowl. Always trailing behind was a small timid boy smaller than any high-schooler he had ever met called Hearts. It was an odd group, especially their leader who beamed at Hector as he bowed.

"Nice to see you again sensei," he waved at Polly who shrank behind his leg, "You too chickety." He nodded briskly at Mila, "Spider."

"Bleeding man," she answered without looking at him. It seemed like Isabelle had a bigger influence on the girl than he had thought. The monk had treated the trio with disdain whenever they were around too.

Hector defused the situation before it escalated, "What do you want Spades?"

"What, I need a reason to see my sensei?"

"I'm not your sensei."

Spades and his friends actually got on his knees, "C'mon, at least consider it!"

The crew wanted to learn how he managed to take out an entire gang by himself. Hector had refused and now they came in everyday after school to beg for his help. They had tried skipping school to see him but quickly learned that if they did he wouldn't speak to them at all.

There was also another reason they showed up, more specifically why Spades showed up. She chose that moment to walk in through the door.

"My healing angel," Spades practically leapt over to Rosalyn who quickly reddened and began to sputter at him to stop. Isabelle was with her and rolled her eye as she walked towards Hector. She wasn't alone though.

"Teacher," Mila yelled excitedly as she skittered over and leapt into Eury's arms. The gorgon laughed softly as she returned the hug.

"Hello Mila," she put the girl down and looked over at Hector. He averted his eyes to avoid being caught in her gaze. "You two haven't been to class in a while."

"I told you why over the phone."

"I know, and I came to help." She slithered over and looked down at Polly, "This is the harpy?"

The girl whimpered and pulled in close as Hector nodded, "Yes."

Eury nodded, he noticed that she was careful not to directly look at the harpy. She was being careful not to terrify the poor girl any further.

"Trauma like she's been through isn't something that people usually get over on their own. She may need more intensive help."

"What do you suggest?"

Eury adjusted her glasses, "The college offers therapy to liminals who have been through traumatic experiences."

Hector rubbed his chin as he thought it over. Polly had yet to speak a single word, so it was worth a shot. He nodded and Eury beamed, "She can start as soon as tomorrow morning."

"She'll be there." Hector could also take Mila to her classes and fix that problem at the same time. The only problem was who was going to watch the library while he was gone. There was an easy answer to that.

"Isabelle, can you handle things here while I take the girls out?"

The monoeye blinked in confusion, "Me? Are you sure?"

"Completely," he pulled out the library keys and tossed them to her. "We'll be gone before opening time, so use those to get in." He looked over at Royal Flush who was laughing with a nervously giggling Rosalyn. "Keep your eye on those morons, please."

She nodded and the next morning Rosalyn came to pick up Hector and the girls. He wanted to take Favela to therapy too, but she wanted to stay in her garden. Hector told her that they would be back soon and to ask Isabelle for anything she needed.

Hector wrapped Polly up in a safety blanket and carried her gently as she burrowed her face into her his shoulder. Mila rode on his back and Rosalyn giggled at the sight.

"You look adorable."

"Keep that up and we can walk through Royal Flush territory to get there."

Rosalyn turned bright red and sputtered excuses all the way to the meting point. Eury was waiting there with a smile and a hug for the little Arachne. "I'll take this little cutie to the art studio." She rolled her eyes at Rosalyn who was still sputtering, "I take it that Juliet ran into Romeo on the way here then?"

"Nope, just mentioned him."

"She has it bad," Eury said shaking her head and grabbing the centaur's hand, "I can't wait to see what happens during the full moon. I'll take her to class. The therapist's office is in the building over there, third floor."

Hector thanked her and rubbed Mila's hair before heading off. He got the occasional look but since there were liminal students it seemed like the security blanket was grabbing the most attention.

He reached the door to the building before realizing both his non-injured hand was full. Luckily someone opened the door for them.

"Here, let me get that for you."

"Oh thank you…"

"Professor Takeshi," the man said. He was a large man in a lab coat with squarish features and a scruffy beard. He nodded towards the small harpy, "A poultry harpy?"

Hector nodded, "Her name's Polly." They headed inside and the professor walked alongside them. 'We're here to meet Dr. Fey."

"Dr. Fey," Takeshi mumbled quietly before looking at Polly sadly, "She's had a rough time then, huh."

"It hasn't been great."

Takeshi hummed as he subtly looked Polly over to avoid scaring her, "How has her laying schedule been?"

"What?"

"Her laying-the eggs, is she laying eggs normally?"

"I haven't seen any."

The professor hummed worriedly, "That's no good. Poultry harpies are supposed to continually lay eggs. Some can lay up to hundreds daily."

"What does her laying none mean?"

"Nothing good, but harpies aren't exactly my focus at the moment. I'm a biology professor hoping to learn more about the liminal races. But right now my work is focusing more on liminals like dullahans."

"Dullahans?"

"Headless girls."

"Ah."

The two continued talking as the Professor walked Hector and Polly to Dr. Fey's office. He wished the two luck and Hector entered.

The office was a classic therapist office. There was a long couch, warm lighting and a mahogany desk. Sitting behind the desk…

"Dr. Fey."

The woman smiled widely with slightly pointed teeth. She had dark skin and curved lilac horns. Her eyes were pitch black with dark red iris' and a pair of white leathery wings curled around her shoulders like a shawl. She wore a tight red two-piece suit and a skirt she smoothed out as she stood up.

"Call me Morgana. Euryale told me you two were coming."

"Well I am Hector and this," he said uncovering Polly who gripped him tightly, "Is Polly."

"Oh how precious," she cooed, "We don't have too many harpies on campus." Polly whimpered and he covered her with the blanket to calm her down again. Morgan clicked her tongue and furrowed her delicately shaped eyebrows in concern.

"Did Eury tell you anything about what happened with her?"

"Just the basics," she tutted as she guided Hector to the couch, "It looks like I have my work cut out for me."

"True. You know when Eury told me about you I didn't expect-"

"An elder demon?"

"I was going to say someone so young."

Morgana gave him a chastising smirk, "Charmer, I like the attitude but it might be best to get the species thing out of the way. Yes, I am an elder demon."

"It doesn't matter to me."

Her smile widened, "Mature of you, the demon species reputation usually precedes us."

Hector knew that the demons were known as chaos bringers and mischief makers. Elder demons were supposedly more composed than the younger, more chaotic breed. They were also supposedly a few centuries older. He had never met any demons, so he didn't have anything to go on about the race other than rumors. Maybe now was the time to learn.

"What made you go into therapy?"

"In the centuries I have been alive I fell into sort of…malaise. The pranks of my youth began to bore me, and other selfish desires began to become dull. I found a new passion in healing others, and I had plenty of practice getting them to speak their minds."

Judging from her seductive smile Hector could guess where most of her practice had come from. He was comforted knowing that she had centuries of experience though, "Can you help her?"

Her smile softened and her eyes filled with determination, "I am going to try my hardest."

The rest of the session was painfully slow. Morgana was gentle, and spoke to Polly in a soft reassuring tone. But it was like getting blood from stone, she was unresponsive and continued to cling to him. He was losing hope in the whole thing before Polly finally responded.

"And the library," Morgana started, "Do you feel safe there?"

And then Polly nodded. It was small, and trembling, and she quivered as she did it, but it was a nod. Hector felt his hope surge at even this sign of the smallest improvement. Eventually the session came to an end and Morgana walked them to the door.

"She's shown improvement, incremental as it is."

"Can I do anything to help her?"

Morgana thought about it, "Talk to her. Help her get used to your voice and the environment at home. This level of anxiety isn't going away any time soon so we will need to help her manage it."

"I can do that," Hector said as he adjusted Polly in his arms, "Anything else?"

"Maybe try some relaxing activities together."

"I work at a library. It doesn't get much more calming than that."

"Then try shaking things up. Maybe a trip out into the country," Morgana suggested, "You look like you could use the rest too."

Hector couldn't argue. His clothing covered most over his injuries but it was clear that Morgana had seen them in his pained movements. It had been a crazy few weeks. It might be time to get out of library for a bit. He thanked the demon for her help and left to pick up Mila.

The Arachne girl was happier than she had been in days. Her model of the library had come along wonderfully and she had expanded to make representations of the surrounding area. The diorama now encompassed a detailed three block radius around their home.

Her new attitude did wonders for the trip back. She spoke animatedly with Eury and Rosalyn who came with them all the way to the library. He was surprised to see Royal Flush inside shelving books.

"A training exercise," Isabelle explained, "I told them you grew strong shelving one hundred books, dusting one hundred shelves, and moving one hundred boxes every single day."

"And they bought that? We don't even have that many books here."

Isabelle just gestured to the group still stacking the books and Hector realized that skipping class as much as they did had serious consequences. He suddenly began to worry for the girls and how well he homeschooled them.

"Don't worry," Isabelle suddenly said, "The girls won't end up like them."

"You can read my mind now?"

"It is easy to tell when you are worried, but you shouldn't. They'll be fine." She looked over at Polly, "How is she?"

"Better," Hector replied as he adjusted the harpy in his arms, "The psychiatrist suggested that a trip out into the country might help. Open spaces, fresh air, all that good jazz. Do you want to come?"

Isabelle shook her head, "I'm not one for the countryside, my eye becomes irritated easily. I will watch the library for you though."

Hector was preventing from answering by a huge crash. He looked over to see that Hearts was now buried under a pile of books. His friends and Mila laughed manically as he let out muffled groans underneath the pile.

"…I would appreciate the help."


End file.
